Aug. 11’s Toby Keith show at Red Rock Resort Amphitheatre saw a pavilion full of mall cowboys shuffled inside when the rain started. After a delay, though, the gates opened back up around 10 p.m. as a mob of the hats-and-boots crowd let out a terrifying yell that probably scared the dentures out of half the slots players.

A native of St. Louis, Branch Whitney wanted to move west since his family took a vacation in Colorado when he was 7. His wish came true in 1983, when he left the flatlands for Las Vegas, lured by the bright lights of the Strip and the majestic mountains surrounding it. After a stint as a serious blackjack player and working in sales in the health-club industry, Whitney turned his focus outdoors, exploring his first mountain in 1995. It was the first of hundreds of hikes that have covered—by his estimate—about 3,000 miles of terrain.

Whether you prefer the Quaalude, Ecstasy or Marijane roll, ordering at Hachi can be a trip back to an ill-spent youth. One of the tastiest rolls on Hachi’s low-priced menu won’t make you hallucinate but it is delicious. The LSD Roll starts with spicy crab and tempura flakes surrounded by rice and seaweed paper. The roll is topped with thin slices of shrimp and avocado and the drizzled with spicy ginger mayonnaise. $8, in Red Rock Resort, 797-7054.

The T-Time happy-hour menu, created by executive chef Joseph Kudrak, is filled with creative twists on conventional bar snack food. One of the best creations is the chef’s take on the crowd favorite, chicken and waffles. The dish starts with chicken strips marinated in buttermilk and then fried till crisp outside, tender inside. The strips are served on top of soft, warm malted batter waffles and drizzled with jalapeno-infused maple syrup. It will almost make you forget you’re eating at one of the city’s high-end steak houses. $5 during happy hour 5-7 p.m., at Red Rock Resort, 11011 W.

Sure, his melancholy jangle-pop band is named after an alcohol-induced vascular condition, but Gin Blossoms lead guitarist and Phoenix resident Scott Johnson won’t change his habits. He grew up in bars, learned to play music for a living in bars. Bars are where he feels comfortable. It was that way even before he joined the biggest band to hail from Tempe’s beer-soaked college-rock scene of the ’90s.
“It was a small scene near the Arizona State University campus,” he recalls, in a phone interview. “We were all in our early 20s, and we all knew each other.”

A great start to a meaty meal here is this refreshing combination of romaine lettuce, Gorgonzola cheese, bacon, avocado and beefsteak tomatoes. And it tastes best when you’re eating out on the restaurant’s swanky patio. $12, in Red Rock hotel-casino, 797-7576.

Beer lovers rejoice: A new Yard House location adds six new brews to what was an already impressive beer list.
The new pub at Red Rock Casino opened June 6 and offers 110 varieties on tap—28 fewer than the Town Square location. Still, there are a few notables on the list that aren’t available at its sister spot: Firestone Union Jack IPA, Grand Teton Au Naturale Organic, Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale, Red Hook Copperhook Ale, Goose Island Matilda and Ommegang Seasonal.

Red Rock drenched its center bar in deep shades of brown and red, then gave it a luxe feel with lavish drapes, loads of comfy seating and $1.6 million in crystals hanging from the ceiling. For a finishing touch, the sparkling circular room is enclosed in ruby-colored glass. Patrons can try their luck at blackjack tables and, on weekends, enjoy a live DJ starting at 8 p.m.